Understanding the Template Types

There are three types of templates in Microsoft Project:

• Project template.       The project template might contain task and resource information that you can use as a basis for starting a new project. It's often based on past project experiences in the organization or in the industry. For example, there are software project templates, commercial construction templates, product development templates, and so on.

  There are a wide variety of project templates available, both within Microsoft Project and from third-party sources. You can use such a project template as the basis for a new project you're creating. If you're closing a project, you can save and adapt your plan as a project template file for you or others to use and benefit from your experience.

• Project global template.       The project global template, also referred to as the global.mpt file, is a template that contains elements and settings pertinent to how you use Microsoft Project. Such elements include views, tables, groups, filters, and reports for customized ways of looking at project information. The project global template can include calendars, macros, and toolbars for specific methods of executing Microsoft Project commands and functions. The project global template can also include general Microsoft Project program settings to set defaults for editing, scheduling, and calculations, to name a few.

The project global template is automatically attached to every project file you work with. As the user and project manager, you have control over the content of your project global template, although you can share it with others if you want.

• Enterprise global template.       If you're set up for enterprise project management using Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003 and Microsoft Office Project Server 2003, the enterprise global template is also automatically attached to every enterprise project you check out. Think of it as a global template over the project global template, or the "global global." This template dictates standards being enforced and customizations made available throughout the enterprise; for example, custom fields, views, and macros. These standards provide for customization and consistency across all projects in an organization. The standards propagated through the enterprise global template also make it possible for project information throughout the enterprise to be compared and analyzed to one another in meaningful ways.

  Because the enterprise global template affects all projects throughout the enterprise, only users who have certain permissions can check out and modify the enterprise global template. Many organizations give that responsibility to one or two project server administrators or portfolio managers.

  Cross-References  

  For more information about the enterprise global template, see "Working with the Enterprise Global Template".